School board approves raising LOB percentage

The Basehor-Linwood school board approved the school district using its full percentage of the Local Option Budget.

The school district currently uses 17.8 percent of its LOB, which is about $1.58 million.

With the approval, the school will use the maximum 25 percent, which is within the authority of the school board.

Under Kansas law, school boards have the authority to increase the percentage they use of local taxes.

Currently, the state provides about $37.20 per student and the remainder of the school district budget comes from LOBs.

Basehor-Linwood is about the only school district in the area not using its maximum percentage. Bonner Springs-Edwardsville has been using 25 percent for some time.

Acting Superintendent Cal Cormack said this will give the school district another $640,000.

When a school district doesn't maximize its local budget, the state frowns upon giving districts more funding, Cormack said.

"(The state says) why should we increase the base (funding) if you are not exercising the full percentage at the local level," he said.

The increase will allow the district to pay for the better insurance the school board just approved for teachers.

"We agreed to pay full-time employees' health insurance," said Kerry Mueller. ". . . If we don't offer good benefits, we will lose our good employees."

Fairmount Fire Chief Allen Goins addressed the school board about the lack of water pressure in the area of Glenwood Elementary School.

Fairmount firefighters were training on the department's new fire truck last week at Glenwood Elementary, when within seconds of hooking up their hoses to a fire hydrant, they lost water pressure, Goins said.

"My concern is we don't have an adequate supply down there," he said.

Goins said water pressure is a problem throughout that area, which causes a potential problem with fighting fires.

"I can bring 7,000 gallons of water on the trucks, but that isn't going to be enough," he said.

Because of the inadequate water pressure, residents and the school district pay a higher insurance premium. Goins said insurance inspectors as well as other inspectors have looked at the problem. The water pressure rating for the area has been unsatisfactory, Goins said.

School board members were unaware of the problem and said they would have district staff look into it.

In March, school board members will consider a proposal to adopt a new social studies curriculum, which will include the purchase of new textbooks and supplies. The change will allow teachers to have a standardized teaching plan that will also allow them to better measure a student's ability.

Social studies covers civics, economics, government and history. There is a need for standardized programming as well as new equipment and supplies. The newest map in the school district was purchased in 1991. This caused some concern among administrators.

"It says we've neglected social studies for a number of years," Cormack said.

The new program will allow the district to establish a curriculum data system that veteran and new teachers will use to develop lesson plans to meet state standards.

The program is based on Greenbush, a standards program developed by 70 teachers within the state.

School board members voted four-one to spend $21,800 for a drainage project at Glenwood Elementary School. Water had been draining into the neighbors' yards adjacent to the school. The construction should correct the problem, officials said.

The school board will meet at the Basehor-Linwood High School at 7 p.m., March 12. The meeting was moved to the high school because teachers will give a presentation on current programs.